The Official Newsletter of The National Defense Transportation Association
January 8, 2025
Mark your calendar and register today for the GovTravels Symposium, happening February 24-27, 2025, at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center, Alexandria, VA. The National Defense Transportation Association (NDTA) and the Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO), in association with the General Services Administration (GSA), are looking forward to welcoming you to this key event where decision makers from government and industry convene to collaborate on and learn about passenger travel concerns. […READ MORE…]
2025 NDTA Foundation Scholarships Now Accepting Applications through Monday, April 15, 2025
NDTA is excited about the education and professional development of our nation’s future logistics and transportation leaders and is offering four scholarship opportunities for members and their children.
- Program A – for currently enrolled college students
- Program B – for soon-to-be high school graduates accepted at an accredited institution
- Program C – for currently enrolled, distance learning college students
- Program D – The Denny Edwards Graduate Scholarship for graduate (master’s degree) students
All scholarship winners will receive a unique opportunity to join our Industry Connect Program (ICP), which links interested students with an industry mentor to help them bridge to the future. More information can be found here. […READ MORE…]
NDTA’s 2025 Europe & Africa Regional Committee Meeting
The NDTA Europe & Africa Regional Committee will hold its next meeting at Sembach Kaserne, Germany, Jan. 14-15, 2025. The gathering will bring together members and stakeholders to collaborate on critical transportation and logistics initiatives for the region.
The meeting agenda includes the introduction of our regional subcommittees and highlights the launch of our newest subcommittee focused on travel. Subcommittees will break out into dedicated sessions to discuss their objectives and strategies before reconvening to present their findings and plans. Additionally, we are tentatively planning a presentation by USTRANSCOM on the Joint Transportation Management System (JTMS), along with a discussion on regional engagement, providing an excellent platform for theaters to share insights and contribute ideas. […READ MORE…]
Strike Update
US Port Labor Talks Resume with Spotlight on Automation
(Reuters) Jan. 6 – Contract talks covering 45,000 dockworkers on the US East and Gulf Coasts are set to restart on Tuesday in a labor dispute that will help set the pace of automation at ports stretching from Maine to Texas.
The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) wants to eliminate past labor contract concessions on automation – notably the use of semi-automated cranes that stack containers on docks, arguing they pose a threat to jobs. The United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) employer group, meanwhile, argues those rail-mounted gantry cranes are key to remaining competitive as ports, most notably in China, lead the way on automation.
If the two sides do not reach a deal by Jan. 15, workers at container ports that handle more than half of US ocean imports could start a strike just days before President-elect Donald Trump‘s Jan. 20 inauguration. […READ MORE…]
Your Source
December 19, 2024
WASHINGTON – As part of the White House Council on Supply Chain Resilience, the US Department of Transportation (DOT) today released a Four-year Review of the Supply Chains for the Transportation Industrial Base, within the White House 2021–2024 Quadrennial Supply Chain Review (QSCR)—an inaugural four-year assessment of progress made strengthening supply chains.
Under the leadership of President Biden and US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, DOT strengthened supply chain resilience by working alongside other agencies, easing freight congestion and improving multimodal connectivity. […READ MORE…]
Don’t Overlook Shipping’s Critical Role in US Sustainable Transportation Future
ABS Chairman and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki recently spoke to US transportation and government leaders at the Sustainable Freight Workshop at the White House about the advantages of freight shipping and how it worked best by linking with other transportation sectors.
“Marine transportation has significantly lower emissions per ton-mile than other transportation modes, is the most cost-effective mode for freight, can move freight at a scale that other transportation modes cannot match, provides import and export options that other modes cannot reach, and often has less vulnerability to infrastructure damaging events such as natural disasters. However, marine transportation can be slower and has fewer delivery location options, which requires close partnership with other modes for safe, efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable transportation of freight,” he said. […READ MORE…]
Essay
Lieutenant Colonel Zachary S. Hughes, USAF, wrote this essay while a student at the National War College. It won the 2024 Secretary of Defense National Security Essay Competition, and it appeared in the Joint Forces Quarterly, Issue 115, 4th Quarter 2024.
Editor’s Picks
Navy Secretary Names Newest Destroyer Intrepid
(Military Times) Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro announced that the service’s newest destroyer will bear the historic Intrepid name, according to the Navy. Del Toro named the newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer the future Intrepid on Friday while aboard the former carrier Intrepid, now part of its namesake museum in New York City.
Future USS Iowa Delivered to US Navy
(Navy.mil) The US Navy Submarine Force’s newest attack submarine, the future USS Iowa (SSN 797), was delivered to the Navy on Dec. 22, 2024, marking the 12th battle force ship delivered to the Navy this calendar year. SSN 797 is the 24th Virginia-class submarine (VCS) co-produced by General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) and HII-Newport News Shipbuilding through a long-standing teaming agreement and the 13th attack submarine delivered by GDEB.
Navy, Air Force Cleared to Fly Ospreys After Inspecting Gears
(Defense News) The Navy and Air Force are cleared to resume flying their grounded V-22 Ospreys after conducting inspections on a crucial gearbox in the tiltrotor aircraft, and some are already back in the air. The military temporarily stopped flying some Ospreys on Dec. 9 after a near crash in New Mexico in November.
Marines Still Targeting 2030 for Hornet Replacement, Despite F-35 Delays
(Defense One) MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, California—While Marines wait for new F-35s, officials say recent delivery delays haven’t altered their goal to fully switch to the fifth-generation stealth fighter jet by the end of the decade. The service is replacing its aging F/A-18 Hornets with F-35s, a massive effort complicated by a year-long pause in deliveries of the newest version of the jet.
“It’s not gonna happen all overnight, but right now, I think the forecast still has us completing it in 2030,” said Col. William Mitchell, commanding officer of Marine Aircraft Group 11, which includes two F-35C squadrons, an F-35B training squadron, two F/A-18C squadrons, and a KC-130 aerial refueling squadron.
Ursa Major Tests Long-range Rocket Motor for Army as Firm Eyes Growth
(Defense News) Raytheon and growing propulsion firm Ursa Major announced they have conducted successful missile flight tests with a long-range solid rocket motor for the Army. In a briefing with reporters, Ursa Major CEO Dan Jablonsky said his company has so far twice flown this motor with Raytheon, an RTX company, at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake.
Please join NDTA in extending a warm welcome to its newest Sustaining Members:
CWTSatoTravel Honored with Multiple Awards
For the second year in a row, CWTSatoTravel is ranked the No. 1 overall travel company employer for veterans and military spouses in the 2024 Military Times “Best for Vets Rankings.” Military Friendly also recognized CWTSatoTravel as No. 1 among the top 10 military spouse employers and No. 3 in the top 10 Military Friendly employers overall, awarding the Gold status in their rankings.
FedEx Makes Big Push for Third-party Air Cargo
Premium international air cargo is one of four B2B market segments parcel carrier FedEx Corp. will target for growth next year as the expiration of a large US Postal Service contract frees up aircraft for other uses, company leaders say.
“The airfreight market is fragmented, and the shipping processes are antiquated. It’s a market ripe for disruption,” Chief Customer Officer Brie Carere said during FedEx’s second-quarter earnings briefing for analysts.
USMMI Adds Another Shallow-draft Tanker to its US Flag Fleet
US Marine Management (USMMI) announced its most recent contract win with the US Navy’s Military Sealift Command (MSC) for the operation of another shallow-draft tanker in the Far East supporting the Defense Logistics Agency. The Redwood Trader re-flagged into the US registry and has commenced performance under her charter with MSC. This new US Flag ship represents 17 new US mariner jobs being filled by our supporting mariner unions AMO and SIU. The Redwood Trader, a chemical product tanker, was built in 2018, is 109 meters long, and 5,422 gross tons.
The Source is a free educational publication for NDTA members, conference attendees, and associates.